Is my ABS working properly?

[mot]

I have a 94 GS1100. Not had it long and it's the first GS i've owned.

The ABS is awful! On a perfectly smooth road it's fine but relatively heavy braking over even the slightest bumps and the ABS seems to crap itself and release the brakes. Result is you travel a few yards without any braking before the thing kicks in again. Is this right?

It is very annoying as it seems to happen on things like manhole covers or slight ripples in the road which are all over the place on London - and ends up extending my stopping distance when i least want it to!

It is definitely letting off when there is no reason for it to do so. I've turned the ABS off and grabbed the brakes hard over minor ripples and it pulls up fine without the slightest suggestion of the wheel locking.

It is a pretty old bike, so could the ABS be faulty or is it just that i don't like the way it works?

 

[Fanum]

What tyres are you on and what's their condition???

What you describe is how ABS does feel when it kicks in.....it may be because you're used to non-abs bikes and you're giving it too much , locking up the wheel, or your tyres may be crap and they're starting to let go of the road too early which kicks it in.

Whatever, unless your sensor ring is all loose and giving false sigals, the only way for the ABS to kick in is when the wheel stops for a fraction of a second......

PS why are you hard braking on manhole covers erc anyway????

Hmm...thinking about it, the abs (IIIRC) also kicks in if it detects a difference in speed between the front and rear.......so another potential cause could be your shocks or their set-up...if they're knackered, they could be causing a wheel to lose contact with the road, which under braking will again trigger the ABS

 

[pedmo]

Mine is the same, I think its just because the bumps cause the weight to lift off a wheel which allows it to decelerate rapidly. Its very disconcerting because it takes so long to re-engage. It also happens on gravel, feels like you are on ice. I had Tourances on for ages and now I've got TKC 80s and it still does it, so I dont think its the tyres. I agree it could be because of poor suspension adjustment.

 

[mrTickle]

my adventure does the same but only using the front brake. I can't work it out - I think maybe my front discs are warped? Whatever it is, I bet it's expensive to fix.It's been like it for a year now so I've got used to letting the front brake lever go and then re-squeezing it. It's a right PIA I tells ya. I'm thinking of replacing my bike as there's so many things it could be. I was going to get a 1200 Adventure but quite like the HP2. Any old excuse to get a new bike

 

[mot]

Hmm...thinking about it, the abs (IIIRC) also kicks in if it detects a difference in speed between the front and rear.......so another potential cause could be your shocks or their set-up...if they're knackered, they could be causing a wheel to lose contact with the road, which under braking will again trigger the ABS

That could be the thing. I've never had the suspension set up for me and it doesn't look like anything is particularly new so maybe it all needs an overhaul and setting up for my weight.

Nice to know it's not just me.